Method of manufacturing split rings



Ogt. 28, 1930. A. B. CHANCE 1,730,003

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SPLIT-RINGS Filed April 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jrwehli? fllerifl Glance Oct. 28, 1930. A. B. CHANCE 1,780,003

- METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SPLIT RINGS Filed April 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet P Patented Oct V28,. 1930 1 {curt-so *EALBERT B; engines; oroE-ivirimnm; Mrssoem" I Application fil ed A rii 112,

i The presentinvention'relates to a-method thenietal rings are cast in slightly oblong form in order'to provide suflicient metal circiunferentially of the ring sothat the ring will be circular when the metal at the slit is removed, and to give the ring" a natural bias to an enlarged size; t 1 p A The ring is then cut or split on one of its longest curves and sufiicient metal is removed at the split so that'tvhen contracted, the ring.

is substantially ci-rculan V In order" to ma: chine the sides and outer surfaces' -of'the split ring, it" is'necessarynto provide a complicated mechanismto hold the ring in contracted circular form and themachining of such split rings naturally consumes more time than would be required if the ring were'perfe'ctly circular Withoutloose ends. w v

According to another method of manufacture, the oblong rings of metal are fitstmaichimed-in oblong form and then'split, but as.

' the'rings are non-circular, any machining device which trims and'smooth's the rings by rotation (as a lathe or similar machines) does not fo'rmrings of uniform thickness, because the parts ofithe ring are locatedat different radii from the axis of the ring. w

, Qiie of the objects of the present invention is the eliminationofiithe foregoing diflicul- "ties by the provisionof a novel method of manufacture of split rings and novels apparatus for carrying out the niethod.-

Another object of the invention is the provision of a more'siinplemethod of manufacture whereby split rings of more uniform quality and size maybe manufactured more economically and more quickly.

10 her objects and advantages of the invention will appear-more fully from the following description and fromtheaccompanying.

draivi i'ig's in-wliich sii'nilarcharacters of rat-'- ere'nce' indicate similar parts throughout the several Views. j l i Referring to thetwo sheets of drawings;

Fig; 1 1s a'view' in perspective o fa' pisto i ring r'rianiifactiired according to the z pre'seiit l Fi'gIZ-is a sectional vieuf' of the castmetal ring before it is machined; j t Fig. Eris a-aia 'rammatie View voi the'ring dnring then'i'ac'hining or finishing operation, showing transverse cross section of the ring;

Fig;- L'is side elevational View of one form method ofinanufacturing';

I Fig. 5 is a planvi'evv ofthe same apparatus; Referring pd Figs. i to 3; the first step in the m mrfecmre of the split metal rings can; Sistsincastin'g the rings in slightly oblong V formand slightly larger than the, desired finished ring. The cast metal rings lf) may be of substantially the shape shown th dotted Iines in- Fig: 2; p

In order to machine these rings quickly and accurately, I prefer to provide ahol ding' device having a pair ofmovable cones 11 and 12 of such size slope that they ma i be forced into the: rings 10, s ringing] the rings to substantially circi'i-lar form as shovvn in Fig". 3- and the full lines of Fig.2 As the cast metal rings only' -need to be" oblong a" slight amount, this may be accomplished by means of a pair" of frustro conical. menrbers If and 12 wedged into the; ring 10' from each side, and the ring IO Will t'h-usflbe elfe'ctively held incifrcular form to be" acted upon by a; cutter f3; 1 x The rings 10 are thentrimm'ed or finished on all the sides except the inside of the ring; that is' to say, at .14, I51a-nd 16, While the interior' I? ofthe ring is left with the tough skin which is formed by casting on thein terior surfaceof thering. I

After the ring l dhas been finished in this manner, it maybe splitor severed at a point 18 in one of the longest curved sides, and I desire it to be understood chat the split may be ohliqiie' straight, provided with anofiset as S'h'O-Wli; or any other convenient form.

of apparatus for carrying out the" present v Sufiicient metal is removed at the split 18 so that when the ends 19 and 20 are compressed together, the ring assumes a substantially circular form.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, I have here shown in diagrammatic form, a simple aparatus for quickly and economically carrylng out the steps of the foregoing method of manufacture.

The apparatus may consist of a simplified lathe having a supporting framework 21 provided with an upwardly projecting head 22 and a bed 23. The head may be provided with bearings 24 for rotatably supporting a shaft 25 axially supporting the frustroconical member 11 andthe shaft 25 may be provided with a multi-speed pulley 26 for riving the member 11. I

The bed of the lathe may also support a pair of bearings 27 in axialalignment with the bearings 24 and the bearings 27 may rotatably support a second shaft 28 for axially supportin the second frustro-conical member 12. he shaft 28 may be provided with a spur gear 29 mounted between the'bearings 27 and provided with a key and keyway 30 for causing the gear 29 to rotate with the shaft 28, but permitting the shaft 28 to slide within said gear. The bearings 27 may also be provided with counter-bores 31 for permitting rotation of the keyed shaft 28 as well as reciprocation. V

Carried by the outer end of the shaft 28 is a. substantially spool-shaped member 32 having shoulders 33 on each side of a bifurcated member 34 carried by a bell crank 35. The bell crank 35 is pivotally supported u n the frame 31 as at 36 and is provided with a downwardly extendin arm .37 carrying a foot pedal ,38. A spring 39 having one end secured to the bell crank 35 and the other end to the frame 21, biases the bell crank 35 in a clockwise direction. I

-In order to provide means for driving both frustro-conical members 11 and 12 at the same rate of speed, the shaft 24 may carry a spur gear 40 within the head 22, the s ur gear meshing with a second gear 41 w ich meshes with a inion 42 carried by a drive shaft 43 rot-atably supported below the bed 23. q The driveshaft 43 also carries a second pinion 44 at its opposite end aligned with the gear 29 and the pinion 44 meshes with a. second gear 45 which meshes with the gear 29. The pairs of gears 29 and 40, 41 and 45, 42 and 44, should be of the same size in order tov drive bot-h the frustro-conical members 11 and 12 at the same speed. r

The bed 23 of the lathe may be provided with a pair of guides 46 for slidably sup? porting a carriage 47 which may be clamped in any adjusted position by one or more bolts 48. The carriage 47 may be provided with a guide 49 for slidably supporting a second carriage 50 which may be reciprocated transversely to the axis of the lathe by a hand wheel 51. The carriage 50 may also support a third carriage 52 upon a guide 53 and the third carriage may be reciprocated in the direction of the axis of the lathe by ahand wheel 54 for providing a fine adjustment. The carriage 52 fixedly supports a tool post '55 for supporting a cutter 13. It is ofcourse understood that any type of cutting tool may be used, such as thoseremployed upon an ordinary lathe. It will thusbe' observed that an oblong cast metal ring ma ,be held between the frustro-conical mem ers '11 and 12 whereupon the operator may step upon the foot pedal 38 rotating the bell crank 35 counterclockwise and sliding the shaft 28 to the left. The frustro-conical members 11 and 12 will then approach each other and their smallest bases being less than the size ofvthe cast ring, these members will enter the cast ring and wedge it apart to the position shown in Fig. 3, when the ring will be substantially circular. The sides 14, 15 and 16 of the ring may then be machined by the cutting tool 13 and the ring may be quickly released by lift ing the foot from the foot pedal 38.

When the foot is lifted from the foot pedal, the spring 39 will draw the foot pedal upward, rotating the bell crank 35 in a clockwise direction and sliding the shaft 28 to the right, to separate the frustro-conical members 11 and 12.

It willthus be observed that I have invented a novel method of manufacture of split rings, whereby the rings may be accurately machined while held in circular form before they are split. As the rings are not yet split at this time, an extremely simple holding device consisting of two frustroconical members may be employed, and the rings are gripped and released by the mere pressure of the foot upon a footpedal. According to the present method of manufacture, such split metal rings may be made more economically and more quickly than has been possible with the methods and machines of the prior art.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred series of steps for my method of manufacture and a specific embodiment of the apparatus for carrying out the method, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

7 Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

p 1. The method of manufacturing non-circular resilient rings, which comprises forcing both sides of said ring to substantially circular form, and finishing said ring while in circular form.

2 The 'niethod of manufacturing non-cir- 7 cular resilient rings, which comprises forcing both sides of said ring to substantially circular form, finishing said ring while in circular form and severing said 'ring. In' witnesswhereof, I'f hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of April, 1928. I

. ALBERTB. CHANCE. 

